While Jeff Parker's time on Aquaman always managed to nail the bare minimum such as pacing and clear dialogue, it never stood out from Geoff Johns' run on the book. Johns successfully silenced jokes about Aquaman being one of the most useless superheroes in comic books, as while as developing a tumultuous political drama, but Parker only ever wrote him as a man who was too divided to be deserving of the crown, and probably shouldn't ever have had it. If you're a huge fan of the character, Parker's issues might be worth reading. If you're just a casual reader, however, you will probably be better off waiting for Cullen Bunn's time on the book to begin, in June.

Along with humorous little moments from characters like Mr. Freeze,and a nice cliffhanger on the final page, Arkham Manor has truly carved out its own little place among all the Batman titles. Something of interest to note, is the how much the Joker has tied into this book, not only in his role as Eric Border, but also with visual references to the “Death of the Family” arc, as well as a joker card appearing early on in the issue. How big a role he will play in the final chapter remains to be seen, but so far, these little hints seem to indicate something big is awaiting us all.

If it seems I'm being unfair or too harsh on this issue, it's because this is the worst example of what a tie-in can be. Clearly attempting to do nothing more than cash in on the success of the primary Batman title, except shoehorn in some very questionable character development for Jermiah Arkham, this is an issue that should be ignored by all but the most dedicated of fans.

*Note: The inflated cover price is pretty disappointing considering this issue is not extended in length, and something to keep in mind for those expected extra pages.

This is the start of a new arc for one of my favorite Image series, and should be the perfect incentive to start reading it. It's definitely my favorite issue, as of now, and it provides more than enough evidence as to what makes Birthright so great.

Even worse, however, is the artwork, in this issue. While it's just decent enough to be able to represent each character, it looks rushed, sloppy and the coloring makes it difficult to tell one object from another. This may be one of the worst things I've read since I first began my foray into comic books. It's uninteresting, dull and shows how little writer Ron Marz knows the history of any of these characters, or their changes post-Flashpoint. The raised cover price of $3.99 only adds salt to the wounds that this issue leaves.

If you're debating about whether or not to buying a copy of this week's Daredevil is a good idea, you must ask yourself how badly you need to own every issue of the current volume. If you're dead set on having a copy of every appearance of the character that Mark Waid has written, then it might be worth the money. However, if you are not interested in an issue that's more of a diversion than anything else, with an inflated price tag to boot, I suggest spending your money somewhere else.

Minor gripes aside, Mark Waid's finale to his four year Daredevil Saga is still worthy of the cover price and your time. If you've been following since Waid first took over, it'll be a bittersweet read for sure. Thankfully we have another highly capable writer, Charles Soule, picking up the character later this year, and plenty of reason to revisit Mark Waid's incredible run again and again.

In terms of art, Gabriel Hernandez Walta does a superb job, perfectly capturing each facial expression in every single panel, while colorist Jordie Bellaire conveys the transition from past to present scenes flawlessly. The only problems I found with the art throughout the book were a few panels where one too many background pieces were colored dark, making it difficult to differentiate between objects or characters. Other than that, this is another solid issue in what has been one of the best series for comic newbies and veterans alike.

However, if all the praise I've thrown at this book, already, hasn't convinced you to read it, I'm not sure what else would. Magneto is a very well written, nearly self-contained, series that manages to make readers sympathize with one of the most brutal killers in all of the Marvel universe. The fact that the artwork is so consistently impressive, is just an added bonus.

There's still potential, given the way writer Chris Dingess has teased about Lewis' womanizing and Clark's haunted dreams of death and mayhem, but for now teases are all we've gotten. It would be nice to see more development soon, given the colorful cast Dingess has to play with, and the gorgeous art he can always count on.

Again, I'd like to mention that two disappointing issues are not enough of a reason, in my opinion, to drop a high quality book like Manifest Destiny. Even through all of my complaints, there is still a well paced and adequately drawn book that has enough action to keep me interested. If more is not done to advance the overall story, however, soon, I may be suggesting readers jump ship.

Visuals are not enough to keep me enticed, however. Joshua Williamson has taken a wonderful idea with amazing potential and proved, again, how important momentum is in keeping your audience hooked. Not every comic can burn slowand successfully, especially not Nailbiter. If he hopes to keep fans reading, he's going to need to start delivering some solid revelations.

It appears that Nailbiter is finally on the right track, but it remains to be seen how long it will stay this way. What we have is one the most exciting concepts for a comic book, trudging along, with too little answers being given. The inclusion of the townspeople raising arms against law enforcement demonstrates promise, especially given that we're finally starting to receive some answers regarding the mystery of the town, but that hasn't stopped this from being a title best read in trade.

The artwork is top notch, by contrast, and this is definitely one of the best looking issues of the series thus far. Nailbiter's always shined most when showcasing the creativity of some of Buckaroo's most infamous killers, but here the eye candy is found on the gorgeous cover and the flashback scenes. The coloring, however, is what truly won me over this issue, and got me excited to read more. Only when the new trades are released, though. Sadly, no matter how good the art is, I just can't get passed how wasteful purchasing each issue, individually, feels. So little is divulged, leaving each fresh offering feeling like a massive tease. I still have hopes that Williamson will redeem himself, but for now, I'm glad to turn my attention elsewhere.

That still shouldn't lead anyone to hesitate reading this book. The New 52 run of Swamp Thing started out great and only got better once Charles Soule took over. Here, we see him conclude his run in the best possible way, by leaving it open for new writers without leaving loose ends. If you've never touched an issue of this series before, it's worth your time to catch up. Issue 40 is evidence of how to wrap up your work on a character without using gimmicks or forcing any false sentimentality. I only hope there's more like it to come.